Jaime Ayala is coming home.
The Edinburg native has spent the last 32 working in the Arlington Police Department where he rose through the ranks to the position of assistant police chief and recently served as that city’s interim chief.
Now, he’s his hometown’s new police chief.
Ayala accepted the job Friday and will earn approximately $128,000 a year — a significant cut in his current salary, according to City Manager Ron Garza.
In a news release, Ayala said he is excited and honored to come back home.
“Extremely excited and honored to have an opportunity to come back to Edinburg and be a part of a great police department with great employees who serve their community day in and day out,” Ayala said. “It takes special people to choose this line of work and to keep serving during the difficult times law enforcement has faced in recent years. I look forward to being a part of this executive team and leading those who chose a profession in public service.”
Garza said he and an internal panel interviewed Ayala on Friday and were immediately impressed.
Ayala began his career in law enforcement in 1983 as a volunteer reserve officer and then a dispatcher with the Edinburg Police Department.
In his cover letter, Ayala said he has worked with talented leaders in policing across the United States who have had an impact on him, laying the groundwork for what he believes is expected of the next chief of police in Edinburg.
“I recently served as the Interim Police Chief in Arlington which consists of approximately 900 employees with an operating budget of $117 million dollars. During a time of unique crisis following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, I led our efforts in managing numerous sometimes violent protests as well as engaging segments of the community as part of the healing process,” Ayala wrote.
He says he served on several community forums to discuss police reform and refocusing how Arlington policed its communities “following the continued distrust of police across America.”
Ayala has served as an assistant chief for the last decade and is currently assigned to the Investigations Bureau and temporarily assigned to special projects overseeing the development of a new division’s development in Arlington, according to the cover letter.
“Education has been an important ingredient to my success,” Ayala said.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in speech communications and a master’s degree in communication. Ayala is also a graduate of the FBI National Executive Institute and the FBI National Academy, in addition to other institutes and numerous boards.
“I am keenly aware of the need for collaboration amongst city departments and community to enhance public safety and improve the quality of life where all can feel safe anywhere — anytime,” Ayala wrote.
He says he has a history of teaming with city departments and external partners, including efforts to develop Arlington’s workforce.
“I have also forged numerous partnerships within the business community, tourism community and with other city departments working collaboratively to solve neighborhood issues. In partnership with the Convention and Visitors Bureau, I implemented a tourism oriented policing philosophy as Arlington’s tourism industry was growing,” he said in the letter.
Ayala also said he has a history of engaging Arlington’s community to address neighborhood decay and crime.
“In partnership with East Arlington Renewal and multiple departments such as code enforcement, libraries, fire, housing, and the school district, we created Amigos de Arlington,” Ayala wrote. “This was a boots on the ground effort to identify and work with neighborhoods suffering from decay. Together many neighborhoods were cleaned up, children received books and the overall quality of life was improved.”
He also says that he has a community policing philosophy and has led high-profile problem-solving projects, including the “You Never Know” campaign, which focused on prostitution and human trafficking during Super Bowl XLV.
“These are just a few examples exemplifying my commitment and strategic leadership to champion Arlington into the next decade. Edinburg is a thriving community with many opportunities for community engagement and relational policing,” Ayala said in the letter. “The regional tourism opportunities are growing and with Edinburg having several tourist attractions, it will be important to embrace a tourism-based philosophy in support of community policing.”
More so, being born and raised in Edinburg, Ayla says he welcomes a return home, writing, “Having been born and raised in Edinburg, I welcome the opportunity to return home and use my innovative experience, strategic police leadership and global relationship building as the next Edinburg Police Chief.”
He is expected to officially start sometime in October.
